Are you ready to think spring and gardens? We'll help you make your garden plans with a series of three gardening classes beginning in March. These classes will be presented by the Garrett County Master Gardeners from the University of Maryland Extension Office. All three classes will be held at the Oakland Library meeting room and are free and open to the public. If you'd like to attend, call Bonnie at 301-334-3996, x117 or email her at bonnie@relib.net. You can sign up for one or all classes.

The first class, Planning Your Vegetable Garden, is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13 from 2 – 3 p.m. and covers the basic steps in planning a vegetable garden. You'll receive planting date calendars, the new USDA hardiness zone map, and charts outlining how much to plant according to family size. Discussion will include timing, budgeting, and succession or companion planting. You'll get to work one on one with master gardeners to sketch your garden and discuss specific plant requirements. The class offers something for the beginner as well as gardeners with more experience.

The second class, Starting Your Own Seeds and Caring for the Transplants, is scheduled for Wednesday, March 27 from 2 – 3 p.m. The third class, Container Gardening, is planned for Wednesday, April 24 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

If you'd like to browse gardening books ahead of time, check out our collection at the library, or look online. To access the online catalog, click the Catalog tab in the top navigation bar of the Home page.